


The Fallen Ones

by Tarlan



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Character Study, Episode Tag, Episode: s03e04 Sateda, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-03-05
Updated: 2007-03-05
Packaged: 2017-10-21 19:06:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 671
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/228610
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarlan/pseuds/Tarlan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John has enough reminders already.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Fallen Ones

Walking into the infirmary, John stopped dead when he spotted the ugliest pair of boxers he had ever seen.

"What the hell?" He laughed out loud, any remaining tension floating away as Rodney looked indignant and tried to cover the hideously over-patterned material that looked like kiwi fruit or even lemons. Beside him, Carson was smirking as he placed an instrument back onto a metal tray beside the bed.

"They're not mine. Except they are," he stated defiantly contradicting himself. "They were Gall's."

John stopped laughing but kept smiling. With supplies low during those months out of contact with Earth, they did not have the luxury of sealing up the belongings of the dead, and ended up recycling all but the most personal of possessions. Clothing was redistributed to those of the same size who needed it. Even John had claimed a jacket from one of the dead marines killed by Kolya during the storm, after his own was badly torn on an off-world mission. John didn't bother to ask why Rodney was still wearing Gall's boxers now that the _Daedalus_ was bringing fresh supplies of clothing and essentials from Earth because he still had that jacket as a bitter reminder of how a momentary lapse in judgment could kill in this galaxy.

Silent for a moment, he wondered what others had kept as reminders for fallen friends and colleagues, especially where they felt in some part to blame for that loss, for failing to protect them. General O'Neill had the ragged patch from Kowalski's uniform. Daniel Jackson had a reminder of a doctor who had died while saving others on a distant planet in the Milky Way, someone he had respected and admired. Frasier, that was her name. Janet Frasier.

John stepped forward as Rodney pulled up his pants, face heated with embarrassment.

"So how's the wound?"

"Healing."

"And it would heal a lot quicker if you'd take my advice and stop pulling on those stitches," Carson admonished. "Perhaps a little less sitting around on your arse."

"Some of us have important work that requires us to sit all day."

Carson merely raised an eyebrow but John felt it was a fair comment where Rodney was concerned as the man did spend a large amount of his day in front of one laptop or another; monitoring systems, creating new programs, doing research that might make a difference against the Wraith. Except for today. He ought to have been resting after being shot with an arrow but Rodney had insisted on being with them as they searched for their missing teammate on Sateda.

John followed Rodney from the infirmary, still smiling as he watched the way Rodney favored one side as he walked, knowing that wound had to hurt like a bitch with every step, especially as Carson had taken him off the good stuff after the debacle earlier. John smiled, having heard his lieutenant's report on how Rodney was flying high as a kite under the pain meds. He reached out and stopped Rodney as they neared the transporter.

"You did good today, Rodney."

Rodney stared at him for a moment, face even more flustered. "Yes. Well. I just..." He waved a hand as if to shrug off the contribution he had made to finding Ronon before the uber-Wraith killed him.

John slapped him on one broad shoulder and stepped into the transporter.

"See you at dinner," he called over his shoulder as he pressed his destination, leaving Rodney looking insufferably pleased with himself now but, for once, John was happy to let Rodney bask in some glory. Today they had worked as a team, an extended team including Carson, with everyone playing to their strengths. Today he had walked away with his whole team intact, needing no new reminders to add to those he already had from the fallen ones.

No. Today he would let Rodney bask but tomorrow? He smirked, tomorrow he would ask Rodney about all the pretty horses...and a pretty girl and a caveman.

END


End file.
